Great color, nice image, progressive scan

Horrible remote, HORRIBLE handling of compressing anamorphic DVDs for 4:3 output

Great player except when you use it to view anamorphic material on a 4:3 TV, the Toshiba does a horrible job of compressing the image vertically! There's horrible motion artifacts that are clearly visible on horizontal moving lines that move vertically. Can't stand it enough that I sold the player! ONLY consider this player if you are going to end up using a 16:9 TV set if you are a video freak like I am. :)

Similar Products Used:

none

Progressive Scan
Highest Horizontal Resolution I have seen yet.

The remote control is poorly designed. Scan function buttons shared with chapter search buttons.

This is the year for DVD players and I have bought too many. I have added my ultimate DVD player, the Toshiba progressive scan unit. Its bigger brother the SD-9100 is more sturdy in terms of build quality, but it’s something that costs twice as much as this unit for the same performance. It has only one feature that this unit lacks which I will miss and that is an internal color setting for the output so that I do not have to readjust the RPTV every time I watch a DVD. This unit is the functional equivalent of the SD-3109 unit except that it includes the progressive scan output. I have only so far found one glaringly stupid omission on this unit and it is the missing scan buttons on both the remote and the front panel. I can forgive the front panel since most companies drop those keys from the front panel anyway. The scan buttons are actually shared with the chapter skip buttons making scanning incredibly inconvenient and awkward. The Skip button must be held down to activate the scan function. If you don't hold it long enough, you get the skip function. You can only easily do a reverse play option at 1X if you missed something and wanted to pop back to see what you missed. There is a solution for this but it was only a fortunate happenstance. The remote for the SD-2109 works just fine with this unit and its forward and reverse scan codes work fine on the 5109 unit. The 2X, 8X and 30X scan functions are all there neatly hidden away. For those that do not have a previous Toshiba DVD player, the Cinema 7 remote will work nicely in its place and it will give you scanning capability. I have to wonder what the Toshiba engineers were thinking when they missed this major feature. Someone dropped the ball. But enough about the cosmetics of the unit, how does it perform? I’m happy to report that it performs as advertised and then some. As I was putting it through its paces, the unit showed me some things that made my jaw drop to the floor. I put up both the resolution patterns found on the AVIA disc and the outputted resolution via the progressive component output was 540 lines. There was not mistaking that … anyway I looked at it, it was 540 lines. I’m thinking that if the chart pattern could have gone to 600 lines or more … the TV and the player would have been able to resolve that too. Reality check set in and I popped over to the interlaced component input on the TV and the resolution was back down to same 500 –510 lines that I had seen before on the SD-2109 unit. I wen to the S-video input and the chart was hovering at the 500 line mark and the same with the composite input. It was very cool indeed to be able to see four different outputs from the same machine to give you an indication about how the different outputs compare. It’s good to know that the TV is also well capable of showing much more than even this DVD is capable of. “To infinity and beyond.” The Snell and Wilcox pattern on the Video Essentials disc surprisingly or not has never looked better. All the TV’s line doubler decoding errors appear to have been completely eliminated. The pattern was pretty solid as it bounced around the screen. The TV’s line doubler shows the ball as a mess of confetti when ever the ball moves. Blame the line doubler, but for a commercial TV and the price point, I cannot really fault the TV or it’s line doubler. The colors are also surprisingly more vivid than through the other inputs even when I’ve equalized all the settings. The smile on one’s face when you push the envelope just a little more … it isn’t chicken feed.

A couple of things to note … the remote is not much better than the first generation SD-3006 remote and it seems to be able to do even less than that previous remote.

The rating seems about right as the omission or poor design of the remote brings the unit down a notch. Still, I didn't really get if for its scan ability. It's the pitures. Sweet.

Regards

Michael @ The Laser Video Experience

Progressive Scan inputs, Twin trays, lots of features (including HDCD decoding), good value

Poorly designed remote (no scan button). Cheap build quality

The 5109 is a great value for a first generation, progressive scan player. (I paid only $600 retail at my local dealer). The progressive scan picture quality is awesome (I have it hooked up to my Toshiba TW56X81). The remote, though, can be much better (the lack of a dedicated scan button is a gross oversight). The ability to hold and play 2 DVDs/CD's is a great convenience. The build quality is inferior to the 9100 (and other players like the Sony) but the 9100 is NOT $1000 better than the 5109 (actually, picture quality is identical IMO). Progressive scan is the #1 reason to buy this unit and for what it advertises, it does very well.

Peerless Picture; Twin DVD/CD Trays & Great conveniences.

Low Availability + Greedy Retailers = High Price in Toronto

This unit is hooked up via Progressive Scan Component Video (AudioQuest Silver Video Cable)to my 3 week old Toshiba TW40x81 (HDTV-compatible RPTV) and renders an image clarity and stability better than I have EVER seen on ANY TV set from ANY other DVD Player. As a matter of fact the only time I have ever seen an image that was as impressive was during a recent Sony demonstration of a High Definition Broadcast using Explorer 2000HD decoder and a new $10,000.00 ($CAN) Sony 34" High Def Tube set at a local retailer (Bay Bloor Radio). Although I must admit I have had my TV ISF certified recently.
Sure the player is light. Sure the remote should have included an "eject". So what? This is truly the best combo (SD5109 + TW40X81) available to a consumer with modest size living room at this time!! Highest recommendation!!

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD 3006 (My First DVD Player)

Unbelievable Picture, DTS, Dual Trays

Welcome To Toshiba at startup...I just want to watch the movie!!!

HOLY COW!!!!! I recently purchased the Toshiba TW65X81 and this DVD player really makes me happy that I paid so darn much for a TV!
With the progressive scan inputs you just can't go wrong! Of course you need to have a TV with progressive scan outputs but if you didn't you probably wouldn't be reading this review.
Armeggedon, The Seige and Saving Private Ryan look soooooo darn incredible. It seems like the actors are in your living room!!! I have never seen quality like this!
Some movies still look like sh$t, like Die Hard 3 and True Romance. I say go with the new releases...they look absolutely PERFECT!
Unlike other reviewers...I found no problems with the remote. Of course I'm using the Sony RM-AV2000 remote but still the Toshiba remote is fine in my opinion. Two trays is a great option....although I don't know if I will use it after the novelty wears off...but even so...nice addition.
If your serious about quality....buy this baby...sweet...oh so sweet!!!

Similar Products Used:

Sony 300 and 330 DVD

Progressive output, Dual tray novelty.

Awful Remote, Shows the limitations of the TV.

Worth the wait (over a year)to match the progressive input TP61H95. Best DVD picture available. Unbeatable value. Will be interesting to compare with Panasonics progressive when it comes out. Does anybody know if the output is protected? Did anybody see the picture from the original player that did not ship (legal stuff)?

Similar Products Used:

Various Spny & Panasonic.

The only DIGITAL Progressive output DVD player delivers by far the best picture available when coupled with a progressive input DTV (HDTV not needed because max res is 480p.) Oustanding sound as well with smooth HDCD decoding and crystal DTS/AC3. I'm very pleased and recommend this product without hesitation.

Dual trays are nice...but...they should support shuffle play for music use.

Great product costs more than standard players but WAY less than so called Audiophile systems but delivers superior performance. (a clean power supply and upgraded components just can't compete with higher resolution... IMHO. Can be found for a bargain at the 'unauthorized' net resellers. I paid only $399! (course if it breaks, I'm SOL ;-)

Similar Products Used:

None exist (digital!) but non-digital progressive output machines from Toshiba, Sony ES, and Pioneer Elite.

see prior post

see prior post

I bought it from www.supremevideo.com but unsure if intro $399 price still available. Other bargain e-sites include www.joemommacomputer.com and www.dave-online.com.

As info, my system includes
Toshiba SD5109 DVD
Toshiba TP61H95 HDTV-ready
Pioneer Elite VSX 26TX Ultra THX Recvr
Polk RM7500
Monster 2500 line conditioner
Monster Video 3 cabling

Using the above retailers, this was assembled for a total cost of $5200. All were brand new and not reconditioned. However, warranty service probably won't be available for any problems I may have with the Polk's (no auth. net sellers except Crutchfield and they wanted over $500 more than joemomma (I got 'em for under $1000!)) The performance rivals/exceeds systems I've seen at Home Theatre stores costing over $10k++ !!!
I love my HOME THEATRE!

Good luck!

Similar Products Used:

see prior post

Very good picture and sound.

Had to return it twice. After playing CDs it would lock up.

This is supposed to have been a top of the line DVD last year when I bought it. Price was great from Best buy. When hooked up to my 60" Mitubshi composit video and a Yamaha HTR 5240 5.1 optical connection this system is fantastic. I must warn you I had to return it twice for locking up. I put in a CD-R to play some music and both times it effected the playback of DVDs to the point that it had to go back to the store. For playing ONLY DVDs it is great. I think a top of the line product should be CD-R compatable!!

Similar Products Used:

First DVD

Exceptional value and A+ performance on progressive outputs.

Lack of dedicated scan button on remote
Build quality could be improved

I picked up this DVD player for $497+ship new so it was an incredible bargain for a DVD player with progressive scan outputsThe build quality was nowhere near the SD-9000 but all the features that I could possible need were there. I really wished that Toshiba had added a "dedicated" scan button on the remote instead of forcing the user to hold the skip button. Frankly, I would have liked to have seen a jog shuttle instead of some other useless features.

When I finally hooked this player up to my widescreen direct view set (via progressive component outputs), I was blown away at the image that I saw. I have NEVER seen an image this clear before coming from a DVD player. The player performed well for me on both anamorphic and non-anamorphic transfers. The improvements I noticed especially was the disappearing act of the shimmering caused by the interlaced signal.

The sound seemed to me similar to my previous SD-9000 but you do get HDCD decoding as well. Frankly, I still liked using my preamp DACs instead of the internal DACs of the DVD player regardless of HDCD or not.

Many people have been arguing that the Toshiba 5109 does not do TRUE progressive outputs...whatever. All I know is that this is better than any picture I have seen short of a movie theater or an extravagant home theater projection set-up. If it wasn't for the fer shortcomings of this player, I would have given a 5 star rating.

Equipment:
Unity Motion UHD-3200 (aka Princeton Graphics AF3.0HD)
Sunfire Theater Grand preamp processor
Paradigm Reference Active 20s; Active CC-450; ADP-450; Servo-15
Harmonic Tech Truthlink cables
Monster 1000cv component video cables

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD9000
Toshiba 3107
Marantz 810